#901 New

Praise the Lord!

Sing to the Lord a new song,

his praise in the assembly of the godly!

2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker;

let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!

3 Let them praise his name with dancing,

making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!

4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;

he adorns the humble with salvation.

5 Let the godly exult in glory;

let them sing for joy on their beds.

6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats

and two-edged swords in their hands,

7 to execute vengeance on the nations

and punishments on the peoples,

8 to bind their kings with chains

and their nobles with fetters of iron,

9 to execute on them the judgment written!

This is honor for all his godly ones.

Praise the Lord! Psalm 149 ESV

A Psalm of praise. 

Sing to the Lord a new song - Much of what has been sung in Psalms past has the passion of suffering, of questioning, of distress and mourning. It is this way in coming to faith, the realization of sin, the pain of seeing oneself in the light of a holiness that is impossible for men to achieve. It is a glorious new song that comes of a new life, sung before we even reach the gates of Zion, because the assurance of such a place lies in the integrity of God's word. We sing not only because He is, but because we take Him at His word. It is a fire that cannot be quenched by circumstances, a hope that is placed above time and space. 

…11 This is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; 13 if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.… 2 Timothy 2: 11-13

His praise in the assembly of the godly - Here again we see spirit and truth, not entertainment, but heart felt worship. The godly are those who walk with God, who live for God, love His words, and seek to understand and obey them. 

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.… 2 Peter 1: 2-4

Let Israel be glad in his Maker - The God of Abraham, of Isaac and Jacob; He calls them out from all of fallen humanity, and gives them a new name. He sets them apart with His word, revealing Himself as Creator, as Holy and their redeemer. They struggle with God, but He has made a covenant and will uphold it. Without Him nothing exists, the nation would not be or would have long ago dissolved, but His remnant holds on still. The promise is good because of the One Who made it.

Then the man asked, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

28 The man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob. You have wrestled with God and with men, and you have won. That’s why your name will be Israel.”

29 Jacob said, “Now tell me your name.”

“Don’t you know who I am?” he asked. And he blessed Jacob.

30 Jacob said, “I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive.” So he named the place Peniel. 31 The sun was coming up as Jacob was leaving Peniel. He was limping because he had been struck on the hip, 32 and the muscle on his hip joint had been injured. That’s why even today the people of Israel don’t eat the hip muscle of any animal. Genesis 32: 27-32

Let them praise His name with dancing - This reminds me of the song and dance of Miriam, or that of David before the ark. It is the whole of the being, grateful for redemption from the Egyptians, in awe of the way through the parting of the Red Sea. It is David's wrestling through depression, finding hope and realizing God's acceptance of him even after his failures, his mishandling, taking lightly the first attempt of moving the ark. It is the realization of all my sin, and hearing God say come, I will wash you, I will justify you, I will make you whole through the sacrifice of My Son. 

1 Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.… 1 John 3: 1-2

He adorns the humble with salvation - He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So let us always remember this, if we would have mercy then let us be quick to show it as well. Would this not represent the way of the godly?

- They are humble, and feel their need of salvation; he is gracious, and bestows it upon them. They lament their deformity, and he puts a beauty upon them of the choicest sort. He saves them by sanctifying them, and thus they wear the beauty of holiness, and the beauty of a joy which springs out of full salvation. He makes his people meek, and then makes the meek beautiful. Herein is grand argument for worshipping the Lord with the utmost exultation: he who takes such a pleasure in us must be approached with every token of exceeding joy. God taketh pleasure in all his children as Jacob loved all his sons; but the meek are his Josephs, and upon these he puts the coat of many colours, beautifying them with peace, content, joy, holiness, and influence. A meek and quiet spirit is called "an ornament", and certainly it is "the beauty of holiness." When God himself beautifies a man, he becomes beautiful indeed and beautiful for ever. The verse may be read, "He shall beautify the meek with salvation", or "He shall beautify the afflicted with deliverance", or, "He shall beautify the meek with victory"; and each of these readings gives a new shade of meaning, well worthy of quiet consideration. Each reading also suggests new cause for joyful adoration. "O come, let us sing unto the Lord." - C. H. Spurgeon

…15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.… Romans 12: 15-17

And two edged sword in their hands - We have been given the choicest of weapons in the word of God. It is the truth, so it sets men free, and it is the word of God so it will not return void, always accomplishing what He wills. 

…11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.…

…14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.…

17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, divine utterance may be given me, so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,… Ephesians 6: 11-19

To execute on them the judgement written - This bares a sense of finality, of Messianic eschatology. It seems to look to the end of sins reign, the second coming of Christ. It was also the commission of Israel coming into the land of Canaan, but they continually fell into the idolatries of those they were suppose to drive out.

- This was once literally the duty of Israel: when they came into Canaan they fulfilled the righteous sentence of the Lord upon guilty nations. At this hour, under the gentler dispensation of grace, we wrestle not with flesh and blood; yet is our warfare none the less stern, and our victory none the less sure. All evil shall eventually be overthrown: the Lord shall display his justice against evildoers, and in that warfare his servants shall play their parts. The saints shall judge the world. Both the conflict and the victory at the end of it shall cause glory to God, and honour to his holy ones.

Verse 8. To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron. Thus are the greatest enemies of Jehovah and his people reduced to shame, rendered helpless, and themselves punished. This was Israel's boast in actual fact, it is ours spiritually. The chief powers of evil shall be restrained and ultimately destroyed. Those who made captives of the godly shall themselves be made captive. The powers of evil cannot bind our King, but by his power their king shall be bound with a great chain, and shut up in the bottomless pit, that he may at length be trodden under the feet of saints.

Verse 9. To execute upon them the judgment written. Israel as a nation had this to do, and did it, and then they rejoiced in the God who gave success to their arms. We praise our God after another fashion; we are not executioners of justice, but heralds of mercy. It would be a sad thing for any one to misuse this text: lest any warlike believer should be led to do so, we would remind him that the execution must not go beyond the sentence and warrant; and we have received no warrant of execution against our fellow men. Christians have no commission of vengeance; it is theirs to execute the command of mercy, and that alone. This honour have all his saints. All the godly shared in the triumphs of the Lord when he smote Israel's foes. We have like honour, but it is shown in victories of another sort. All the holy ones are sent upon errands by their holy Lord. The honours described in this Psalm are common to all the family of grace; and such service as the Lord appoints is to be undertaken by every one of them, without exception. The Lord honours all his chosen here, and he will glorify them all hereafter: this rule is without exception. Surely in this we have the best argument for glorifying the Lord, wherefore we close our new song with another Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord. - C. H. Spurgeon